#2016 Junior Grand Prix Final

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Anastasia Shpilevaya and Grigory Smirnov's short dance costumes at the 2016 Junior Grand Prix Final, 2017 Junior Russian Nationals and 2017 Junior Worlds.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3 and 4)

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Deanna Stellato-Dudek: 2000 Junior World Silver Medalist → 2024 World Champion

At the age of 40, Deanna Stellato-Dudek is the oldest woman to win a World Championships title in figure skating, with her pairs partner Maxime Deschamps for Canada. Deanna Stellato was the 1999 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion and 2000 Junior World Silver Medalist in the women's singles discipline. She retired from competitive skating in 2001, and returned as a pairs skater in 2016.

40 years is the new 20. That's what I'd like to say. [This record is] not something that I ever set out to do when I came back to skating, but I knew that if I were to accomplish my dreams, it would inevitably occur, because I'm the oldest everywhere. But it's something I carry with pride, and I'm very proud of it. I hope a lot of athletes stay around a lot longer. I hope it encourages people to not stop before they reach their potential. And I hope it transcends into other areas, not just in sports, but also in other areas of life [...] [My 15-year-old self] would say, why did we stop? We're still skating, you know, 25 years later? I think my younger self would think I'm crazy, so she wouldn't think much of it at all. And she wanted to win the 2006 Olympics [...]

-- 2024 World Championships Free Skate Press Conference

[rrezshifts]

ꜰᴏʀᴍᴜʟᴀ ᴏɴᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ 𝓲𝙣t𝙧𝖔

THEODORE GUTIERREZ. a risk mclaren was willing to take, and then took. the italian born, half native american driver made headlines as he took the place of norris in formula one’s mclaren racing team mid 2023 season. fans were in outrage at the decision some considered to be too hasty. outrage poured once again as it was revealed theo was already set to drive for the 2024 season with a contract that, according to leaks, had been drafted up at the start of the 2023 season, ready to be signed at any moment. fans of the beloved team now scold them as they simultaneously hold theo to high standards for his entrance into formula one, and the remainder of the 2023 season. (theodore gutierrez pictured below.)

Junior Racing Career

theo began karting at age nine. competing in local and international competitions. he won several trophies for single races, as well as a few trophies for karting championships. even winning the junior class FIA Karting World Championship title in his early teens. eventually he moved up into the lower formula divisions, where he met a good portion of his friends in formula 1, even if for a moment. but especially oscar piastri, the two first met in:

2016. F4 UAE Championship. both were at the age of 14 towards the beginning of the year. and both were on team Dragon F4. being teammates allowed their companionship to grow more than it would have otherwise.

2017. F4 British Championship. he was 15, later turning 16. and was on the team Carlin.

2018. Formula Renault Eurocup. as he entered, he was 16, 17 when he won and moved on to the next formula. he was on the team Arden alongside Oscar Piastri during his time there.

2019. FIA F3 Championship. as his close friend, oscar piastri, stayed in the eurocup championship, theo moved on. now 17, he races for MP Motorsport with Liam Lawson as his teammate.

2020. FIA F3 Championship. 18 years old, turning 19 by the time he wins second place. drives with the team Hitech Grand Prix alongside Liam Lawson. Piastri wins the championship.

2021. FIA F2 Championship. driving for Prema Racing with Oscar Piastri as him teammate, both boys are 19 at the start of the season, 20 at the end. Oscar wins the championship, theo getting a close second.

2022. FIA F2 Championship. 20 years old as he starts his final season in lower formula championships. driving for MP Motorsport with Felipe Drugovich as his teammate. finishing off the season, now at age 21, with another world championship title, this one F2, majority race wins, and leading the championship for the entirety of the 2022 season.

Love Life of a Formula 1 Driver

getting to know and becoming best friends with oscar was one thing for theo. something he was thankful for. their bond gave theo something more to enjoy when racing and something to distract himself from the worry of not making it. however, falling for said best friend, at the ripe age of 16, after 2 years of knowing him, is another monster all together. not that theo was unaware of his sexuality, he was just too busy for relationships most of the time. he also felt that having romantic feelings for his best friend was a complicated matter. too complicated. too worrying. because he had fantasies now, things he wanted to become more. along with a fear of what it would take to get there and the risks involved with trying. so he dropped the idea of possibilities. but never got rid of the fantasies entirely, they were small fleeting thoughts that made him smile before the anxiety spiked and he quickly shooed the thoughts away.

not long after theo grew his feelings, oscar began to harbor the same ones. he would tell you that they came out of nowhere. what he doesn’t realize is that small pieces of theo’s behavior towards oscar had shifted when he started crushing. the way he looked at him, treated him, talked to him, it was softer. these changes weren’t outright noticed, they did however affect their dynamic. their was something different in the air, they didn’t entirely talk like they were two best friends. oscar was smiling more, replicating the softness theo shared with him. which opened something up in him. he didn’t fully understand where some of the newly developed nervousness came from. or the icky feeling he’d get when theo would say he couldn’t hang out, and that he already had plans. but he figured it out soon enough.

three years later. at the Monaco GP for the formula 2 championship. theodore gutierrez started P14 in qualifying. his Prema teammate, Oscar Piastri, started P8. as the final race raged on, the teammates were at heads as they fought for the third step on the podium. before the race could end the two crashed at the nouvelle chicane. the pair came out unscathed, but theo was furious at his best friend. yelling at him quickly before making his way back to the garage. fans of the sport and their friendship worried as the taller of the two refused to speak to the other after his outburst. only speaking to reporters, meeting with the team and then leaving.

in reality, theo was mad. but not mad that oscar made him lose his chance at another podium. rather that oscar took a risk that could have cost him his life on such a dangerous track. he was mad that oscar had no sense of self preservation in that moment. he was mad that he almost lost his best friend. he stewed in that anger and fear for the rest of the day. and when he got back to his hotel room that night, oscar came to his door. he came with hopes of begging for his friends forgiveness. that it was a stupid fight to have. and theo let him in, but he didn’t let him get a single word he wanted to say into the conversation. instead it was one sided as he shouted at him again. most of the words he had said before. he knew trying to get a word in would be fruitless. so before the lecture could go on too long, oscar grabbed the man, stopping his pacing. he told him to breathe as he guided him to sit down with him. and theo did, he took deep breaths. and as he calmed, he rested his head on his teammate, relaxing while oscar played with the hair on his head. nothing out of the ordinary for the two. until theo raised his head. and their faces were so close that oscar just gave in. theo was entirely shocked, but he welcomed it. kisses spread to other places. hands wandered. and bodies were explored as they spent the night together. after, laying in the aftermath, they talked and confessed. happiness infected every inch of theo’s hotel room. and they both had seemingly gotten exactly what they wanted.

sometime before their next race, however, oscar had spoken with a friend. shared to him about that night. to which that friend shared what the dangers a relationship like that leaking could bring to both of their careers. that scared oscar. he knew theo was terribly anxious about all his hard work amounting to nothing. so when it came time to race around the baku circuit, oscar was distant. full on dodging him at any whiff of theo’s presence. to the general public it seemed that the two best friends were no longer speaking after the crash at monaco. but to theo, it was very confusing. and he never got an answer for it. for the rest of the championship, if theo tried to talk with oscar he’d say “i’m busy right now, maybe later.” then ghost him without explanation. before long though, theo grew tired of the chase and gave up, eventually all out avoiding the man back. oscar would go on to win the F2 championship that year, moving on and becoming Alpine’s reserve driver as theo continued in F2 for the following year. theo and oscar continued to avoid each other if they crossed paths as theo raced his heart out in 2022. he would go on to win the title of 2022 F2 World Champion, getting to go to the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony once again during his career.

making a friend for benefits. the ceremony was… boring. and theo sat through it until, the F1 world champion at that time, Max Verstappen found a moment to invite him to an after party. he agreed. and later on, after the event, theo found his way to the venue. max seemed very keen on having all his attention on theo. subtle flirting found its way in between chats meant for getting to know his younger companion. and as the time passed and the two drank more the flirting became less subtle and more requited. the event for them ended with kissing and a whispered idea on getting out of there early. max paid for a hotel room for the night and the two men made work of it. this wasn’t a one time occurrence, that was never the intention. and the two would meet again a few times before the 2023 season.

as the 2023 season started, theo was now a McLaren reserve driver, and was also, once again, at every race. oscar however was too, of course, as he became one of the two formula 1 drivers for the team McLaren. this making avoiding each other, for these two, much more difficult when they share a garage and hospitality. max and theo remained close, to the general public it read as good friends. to the drivers (and oscar) it read as… suspicious. oscar, as a whole, didn’t like it, his instinctive response was to talk to theo. not about max, but just to try and be friends with theo. start fresh and new. be close again. (as a bonus, maybe get in between him and max). but the man wouldn’t have it, oscar trying to talk to him made theo mad, now with a passion to more actively try and avoid oscar.

new opportunities. lando norris broke his leg the week before the australian grand prix. and as a reserve driver, theodore gutierrez had to step in for him until norris healed entirely. the chance theo was given lasted approximately eight weeks. but not only did he have to drive in landos place, he had to take landos place for press duties… with oscar. it started to get harder to avoid oscar, because of this. and with all the time they were forced to spend together, it was also harder to keep his walls up with him. as he was faced with race after race, he did extraordinarily well. gaining points for McLaren that norris was failing to achieve. theo’s first points in F1 prompted the first sincere physical contact between him and oscar since that night two years ago. the two embraced, oscar initiating the congratulatory hug. as soon as they pulled apart, however, max was next. the elder driver hugging and even grabbing theo’s waist. and oscar’s gut twisted at the sight. for the rest of the year, as theo reverts back to reserve driver, before eventually replacing lando for the remainder of the season. the rookie driver has to juggle his still present feelings for his teammate as he has a sexual relationship with his now coworker and close friend, at the same time.

Read Next:

An in depth look onto Theodore Gutierrez’s family and friendships! [coming soon…]

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[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: George Russell

Updated December 2024

Name: George William Russell

Age: 26

Nationality: British

Years in F1: 6 (Williams 2019-2021, Mercedes 2022-Present)

Number: 63

WDCs: N/A

Driving Style: Russell is most known for his analytical approach to driving, and is a driver that seems to take the data in to consideration most heavily. He has great awareness of technical set-up, and tends to be a clean driver. He also has smooth approaches to corners, and is a known early brake which helps reduce the risk of mistakes. The negative about his style is that he does not have the raw aggression other drivers do, and can be overly-cautious in wheel-to-wheel situations. This can sometimes prevent him from fighting for higher positions in the grid.

History:

Russell drove his first kart when he was 7 years old, after having grown up around the race track. He began competitive karting in 2006, moving up to the cadet class by 2009 and becoming MSA British champion and British Open champion. In 2010 he moved to the Rotax Mini Max category where he became Super One British champion, Formula Kart Stars British champion, and also won the Kartmasters British Grand Prix. Russell graduated to the KF3 class in 2011, winning the SKUSA Supernationals title and becoming CIK-FIA European Champion that year, and in 2012. In his final year of karting in 2013, did not have as successful of a run, finishing 19th.

(Young Russell behind future teammate Lewis Hamilton)

He made his single-seater debut in 2014 for the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series. He finished that year in 4th after having an illness during the season. That same year he would compete in the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, winning the title that year after a four-way battle. As a prize for winning, he was able to test his first GP3 car.

(Russell in 2014)

Russell graduated to Formula 3 in 2015. He had a strong year, regularly achieving poles, podium finishes, and a few wins. He finished 2nd in the season behind Charles Leclerc. In 2016 he drove in the Hitech GP, and finished 3rd.

(Russell in 2016 Hitech car)

Russell moved on to GP3 for the 2017 season. He had an extremely successful year, winning multiple races and showing dominant performances. He would win the GP3 title that year before the season was finished. He was pulled up to F2 due to his strong performance that year.

In 2018 Russell drove a brilliant year in F2. He had several standout performances, multiple wins, podiums, and pole positions. He would go on to be added to the short list of drivers who won the F2 championship in their rookie year (alongside future Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton).

(Russell winning race that took his F2 championship victory)

Throughout all of this, Russell had caught the eye of the F1 team Mercedes, particularly Team Principal Toto Wolff. He joined the Mercedes Junior Program in 2017, and was expected to eventually make his way onto the team in the future. In October 2018 Williams, an F1 team that had been informally serving as the Mercedes junior team, announced Russell as part of their 2019 lineup.

(Russell with Williams)

His first season in F1 would be somewhat of disappointment for the driver. While he excelled and outpaced his teammate, the Williams car did not have the speed to fight for points. He had a similar 2020 season, but was able to get his first career points. In 2021, still with Williams, Russell achieved his first F1 podium finish at the 2021 Belgian GP. It had been a wet quali that allowed him to snatch P2, and then the race day eventually the race red flagged and never restarted after two laps, allowing him to keep his position.

(Russell at maiden podium with Williams)

Russell replaced Valterri Bottas for the Mercedes seat in 2022, partnering 8x WDC Lewis Hamilton. He has a much more positive season with Mercedes, claiming multiple high finish points and podiums. He would go on to have his first win at the Brazilian GP, which also was Mercedes first victory of the year. He would ultimately finish 4th in the championship, his highest finishing results in F1. 2023 was an even more difficult time for Mercedes. While Russell did have some positive finishes, Red Bull dominated and he finished 8th in the championship standings.

(Russell during his first win in Brazil)

2024 was a mixed bag year for Russell with some bad results and some great results. Notably he won two races that year, one in Austria and the other in Vegas. He finished the season 6th in the standings, right behind his teammate, and is set to remain with Mercedes for the 2025 season.

(Russell after Austria 2024 win)

Major Races:

2019 German GP - While Russell did not finish in the points in this race, he had a standout rookie performance. He displayed calm behavior in the face of difficult situations (namely an uncompetitive car) and showcased his skills in wet-dry conditions.

2020 Sakhir GP - In this race while, he was still with Williams, Russell filled in for a sick Lewis Hamilton. Despite limited preparation with the car, he led most of the race. He lost out on victory due to a puncture and pit stop error. Still, he showed what he could do in a fast car for the first time.

2021 Hungarian GP - This race was where Russell scored his first points for Williams. He showcased his strong ability despite being in a subpar car, and was able to capitalize off of other driver's mistakes.

2021 Belgian GP - While Russell's first podium is controversial (due to the fact that two laps were only completed) it was his qualifying that got him the 2nd step. His skill in wet conditions allowed him to qualify much higher than he should have in a Williams. They do say rain is the great equalizer in F1, where skill truly shines.

2022 Brazilian GP - Russells first win, won after a previous day's sprint race win. His first win with Mercedes, he showed that he could fight with top drivers.

2024 Vegas GP- His first really dominant win, Russell held the lead for teh entire race and did not even come close to losing it once. Brilliant and collected drive.

Cheers,

-B

[blorbocedes]

In his own words: Christian Horner on world champion Max Verstappen

Verstappen won another world title on Saturday.

written by: Christian Horner, originally published on The Independent, 08, October 2023 [x]

I remember raising it to Helmut Marko – Red Bull’s motorsport consultant – that this kid looks the real deal. Helmut watched him at the Norisring in Germany and he was convinced.

There was interest from Niki Lauda and Mercedes, but Red Bull could take him to Formula One immediately. So, he came to us a very young age. He was 16. And I remember in his very first outing for us – a demonstration run in Rotterdam – he took the front wing off the car! But you could tell in the seat fitting the confidence he had for a young guy was exceptional.

All of the drivers that came through the junior categories learned their trade out of the spotlight, but Max became the youngest driver in Formula One ever. He was only 17. Every move and every mistake he made was scrutinised.

Jean Todt, who was the FIA president at the time, changed the regulations to ensure someone as young and inexperienced as Max could not enter F1. There will never be a driver that moves so rapidly from karting to F1 again. But the way he dealt with it mentally made him a standout character.

It was obvious in his first full F1 season when he drove for Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso, that he was an emerging talent, and at the beginning of 2016 he was performing beyond the capability of the car.

Daniil Kvyat was struggling, and there was a lot of interest in Max. We made the decision to move him to Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Mercedes did their thing when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed into each other on the first lap and Max, who started fourth which was already stunning, made the one-stop strategy work to win in his first Grand Prix with the team. He became the sport’s youngest ever winner, aged 18. It was a fairytale. Max had arrived.

He won races in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 he became the team leader following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault. He grew up, and it was a transformative year for him.

In 2021 we had a car and an engine that could take the fight to Mercedes, and that season will go down as one of the most competitive sporting duels the sport has ever had.

From the first race in Bahrain through to Abu Dhabi, Max and Lewis were like two heavyweights going up against each other. Max was a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t let it go. And you couldn’t script that they would head to the final race tied on points.

Max was very cool. He put the car on pole, and we took our opportunity under the final safety car. Max had one lap to get the job done. I don’t think Lewis expected Max to attack in the corner that he did, and people overlook that he still had to beat Lewis. He still had to win the race. It wasn’t about two unlapped backmarkers. It was about Max reacting to the circumstances and getting the job done. And under the most intense pressure he did just that. He sent it down the inside and the whole place went bananas.

To see him and his father, Jos, celebrate was a very special moment because it was the culmination of all the effort that his father had put into him at a very young age. Max achieved his goal, and anything after that was the icing on the cake, because for him, it was all about becoming a world champion.

Max has still got all the tenacity he had when he got in the car as a 17-year-old, but he now marries that with experience. Outside of the car, he is a normal guy, too. He has his feet on the ground and he hasn’t had his head turned by fame and fortune. He still loves racing, and he has got good, grounded principals.

He is competitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is very honest. He will give you everything, but he expects everything in return.

He can go on to achieve so much more. We are riding a wave at the moment, and we want to continue riding that wave for as long as we can.

Will Max be in Formula One for a long, long time? I don’t think so. He has ambitions beyond F1 and beyond racing. And at 26, 36 seems a long way away.

We have a long-term agreement with him until 2028, and he has always said he will be happy to start and end his career here, but motivation will be a crucial factor.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

ISU released an article about Shoma

Two-time ISU World Champion and three-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno of Japan has announced his retirement from competitive skating after a long and distinguished career and is ready to open a new chapter in his life.

“I have decided to retire from active competition,” Uno wrote on Instagram. “I am very grateful to have been able to continue skating for 21 years since I was 5 years old, and to have had a wonderful athletic life.”

The Japanese star will talk in more detail about his retirement and future plans in a press conference scheduled for May 14.

The 26-year-old looks back at a career with many highlights and also difficult times, but he always came back, proving his talent and showing resilience. When five-year-old Shoma went to the ice rink in his hometown of Nagoya with his father to have fun, he had no idea that he would become a World Champion, Olympic medalist and super star of the sport. He only knew that the enjoyed skating and kept coming back to the rink, taking lessons. He trained with Machiko Yamada, the coach of Japanese skating icon Midori Ito and also with Mihoko Higuchi for many years and worked his way up in the skating world.

Uno debuted in the ISU Junior Grand Prix in 2011 and was so tiny that he was unable to look over the boards. He won a few medals on the Junior circuit but his breakthrough came in what was his last Junior season in 2014/15 when he qualified for the first time for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final where he claimed gold. Shoma went on to take the ISU World Junior title in 2015, in what was his fourth and final appearance at the event (climbing from 10th in 2012, 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014).

Once at the senior level, Uno quickly became one of the top Skaters in the World. In his World debut in 2016 he placed 7th but then the next year won silver, his first of a total of four World medals. In his first Olympic Winter Games in 2018, Shoma skated off with the silver medal and returned on to the Olympic podium four years later, earning the bronze. In 2022 and 2023 Uno crowned himself ISU World Champion.

However, in between there was a time of struggle. In the 2019/20 season, for the first (and only) time in his career, Uno finished off the podium in the ISU Grand Prix Series. He had left his coaches since childhood and struggled with confidence.

“At first, to be honest, I was thinking about finishing my career,“ he said in an interview at Skate America 2021 about this time.

“I did not know how much longer I would keep going. But imaging the end (I thought) maybe I'll enjoy the rest of this career as an athlete.“

Uno started to work with two-time World Champion Stéphane Lambiel as his coach and choreographer in fall 2019 and soon came back strong. He grew as an athlete and a performer with beautiful programs that highlighted his versatility: “Turandot” (Free Skating 2017/18), “Great Spirit” (Short Program 2020/21), “Bolero” (Free Skating 2021/22) and “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Free Skating 2023/24) to name a few.

At the same time, the Japanese star always pushed the limits technically and made history by becoming the first Skater to perform a quadruple flip in competition in 2016.

“When I train and want to become better, it's not good for me to work on what I can already do. If I'm satisfied with just giving 80 per cent, I'm not good. The right training for me is to push my limits,” Uno said in an interview.

The Japanese Skater has an independent mind and a fun personality. He has a Youtube Channel where you can meet his three toy poodles Emma, Baron and Toro.

“When I am on the ice, I am totally focused on my sport, but when I'm off the ice, I am sure most people know I am just a lazy slacker, but I thought that would be a good way to show to the people how I am off the ice, but still this is Shoma Uno,” he explained.

When asked who inspires him the most, Shoma’s surprising answer was:

"Myself. Of course, I think I am inspired by many people and heard some good words from everyone, too, but in the end when you break it down, I do feel that it is myself that inspires me and sadly, I don't listen to anyone. Sometimes I listen, but mostly I go with my own mind,” he added.

For sure Uno will follow his own ideas in the years to come but you can certainly expect to see him gracing the ice in shows for a while.

[rabidline]

2023 ONE PIECE ON ICE: THE CAST (SO FAR) - ALABASTA KINGDOM ARC

SHOMA UNO as MONKEY D. LUFFY 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2022 Olympic Bronze Medalist 2022, 2023 World Champion 2019 Four Continents Champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final Champion Japanese National Champion (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022) NOBUNARI ODA as USOPP 2006 Four Continents Champion, 2008 Japanese National Champion Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist (2009, 2010), Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist (2006, 2013) RINKA WATANABE as TONY TONY CHOPPER 2022 Skate Canada Gold Medalist, 2022 CS Lombardia Trophy Gold Medalist 2022 Grand Prix Final 4th Place, 2023 Worlds 10th Place MARIN HONDA as PRINCESS NEFELTARI VIVI 2016 World Junior Champion, 2017 World Junior Silver Medalist KAZUKI TOMONO as KOZA 2022 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 2018 Worlds 5th Place 2022, 2023 Worlds 6th Place 2022 Japanese National Bronze Medalist TAKAHITO MURA as SIR CROCODILE 2014 Four Continents Champion, 2011 Asian Winter Games Silver Medalist Japanese National Bronze Medalist (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) RIKA HONGO as MR. 2 BON CLAY 2015, 2016 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup Gold Medalist 2014 Japanese National Silver Medalist PRINCE ICE WORLD TEAM

[sunskate]

"The fan in me is a little sad," three-time Olympic champion Scott Moir told Olympics.com on Tuesday (3 December).

Moir was reflecting the mood of many inside the figure skating world as the news of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron's decision to retire spread.

"La note finale" was the simple headline from French sports publication L'Equipe, blaring what had long been whispered but not confirmed until a press release Tuesday: That Papadakis/Cizeron would not, indeed, try and defend their gold medal from the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 at Milano Cortina 2026.

"It makes me emotional, even if I was not surprised," Papadakis and Cizeron's longtime coach, Romain Haguenauer said from Grenoble, France, where the Grand Prix Final is set to take place later this week (5-7 December).

"I'm not someone who looks backwards a lot because I don't like being too nostalgic, but I was thinking about the past 15 years," Haguenauer shared. "And especially the past ten years that we've been together in Montreal. It's a lot of very good memories."

Papadakis/Cizeron have the numbers of greatness: Olympic gold, Olympic silver, five world titles, five European titles, two Grand Prix Final wins and seven French championships.

But what made them so great? Ice dance had really never seen another duo like them.

"As soon as they touched hands, it was just magic," continued Moir, having trained alongside the French in Montreal with his partner, Tessa Virtue, from 2016-18. "They just knew how to be there for each other. What they were able to create was just so elegant and beautiful."

"What they brought the sport was this extremely athletic version of artistry," Moir added. "They were the strongest and fastest, and because of that they were able to push themselves to be these artists who could really... rise to the occasion."

When Papadakis and Cizeron claimed gold at Beijing 2022, it marked the first time France had won a figure skating gold at the Olympics since another ice dance team, Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, captured gold at Salt Lake City 2002.

Already superstars within the sport, the duo shot to further fame in their home nation, and were feted at what would turn out to be their final official competition, winning the 2022 World Championships in front of a boisterous crowd in Montpellier weeks after the Beijing Games.

"Gabby and Guillaume are very, very well known in France, and are particularly appreciated by the general public," explained Haguenauer, who coached the duo since they were juniors.

"The culture of dance and contemporary dance is huge in France and I think people recognised that [about them]. Yes, they were Olympic champions and world champions, but more than that, they touched people who are not particularly following sports."

Their retirement will loom large over this week's Final in France, which Moir said now represents a pivot point for the ice dance discipline in particular as teams skate closer to the coming Winter Olympics, in February of 2026.

"The world starts to rotate now around Milano and how you set up Milano," Moir said of the competitive figure skating realm.

He harkened back to the 2017 Grand Prix Final, when Papadakis/Cizeron beat Virtue/Moir just two months prior to the coming Olympic Games.

"I don't think we would have won the Olympics in 2018 if we hadn't lost to Gabby and Guillaume in 2017 at the Final," he said.

"I look back and reflect on our career," said Moir, "And I think we are so grateful for the rivals that we had. We able to measure ourselves against two of the best teams in the history of the sport" in Meryl Davis and Charlie White and Gabby and Guillaume.

For Haguenauer, Papadakis/Cizeron represent a team who trusted the process - and the people around them. He convinced the team to move from France to Montreal in 2014 as the coach was setting up a new academy with the Canadian duo Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon.

Now, the Ice Academy of Montreal is one of the premier skating schools in the world.

"Everything started at I AM with them," Haguenauer said. "They were the first stone" we built with.

At this week's Final, four of the six ice dance teams train in Montreal at the Academy, including two-time and reigning world champions, Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S.

"They brought ice dance to excellence, to the excellence of what ice dance should be," Haguenauer said. "They were at the top of their game for eight years - that's a long time.

He continued: "They have brought a style, a unique elegance and a unique sense of artistry in ice dance... no, in all of figure skating."

"I just dont think we can ever have the conversation about the best ice dancers of all time and not have their names included," Moir concluded. "I just don't think that's possible."

[chibrary]

A friendly character who is smiling, calm and posed in life, the Norman Pierre Gasly is quite different as soon as the visor of his helmet is lowered. A tireless fighter, he never lets anything in achieving his goal. Pierre always remained faithful to Sodi since his debut in karting at nine years of age. Joining the Sodi Racing Team in 2009 marked a major turning point in his career. Thanks to the perfect harmony in the team, he fully exploited the potential of his Sodi chassis to shine at the highest level.

Pierre won the French KF3 Championship in 2009 before finishing 2nd in the European Championship, 3rd in the Monaco Kart Cup and 4th in the World Cup the following year, still in KF3 (Junior). Moving to cars very young, he finished 3rd in the French F4 Championship in 2011 and won the FR 2.0 Eurocup in 2013 for his second season in Formula Renault. He took 2nd place in FR 3.5 V8 in 2014. A development driver for Toro Rosso F1 in 2016, he won a major title in GP2 where he was racing for the second year.

A pure Monegasque, Charles Leclerc is a naturally very fast driver equipped with a racing intelligence that makes him outstanding. He rarely makes mistakes and knows how to seize the opportunities to go beyond. Very determined, only victory interests him. Winner in the final round and French vice-champion in Minime with Sodi in 2008, he won the French Cadet Championship and the Bridgestone Cup the following year. Racing with the Sodi Racing Team in 2010, he won the Monaco Kart Cup in KF3 and finished 2nd in the French Championship behind Pierre.

It was with regret, fairly, that Sodikart agreed to release him contractually so that he could join Nicolas Todt in order to climb the ranks of motorsport and reach the heights. He also won a great victory at the wheel of a Sodi by winning at Bercy in the ERDF Masters Kart in Junior in 2011. A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, he has driven his first laps in free practice at three Grands Prix this year with Haas F1. His title in the GP3 Series confirms the expectations that Sodi had of him since his beginnings.

Gildas Merian: "Today we are very proud to have contributed to the success of Pierre and Charles and hope to see them take the final steps to reach the ultimate dream of F1. We are very confident in their ability to achieve this as they are both real talents who possess a little additional "trick" that makes the difference."

source: sodikart press release on the 2016 gp2 & gp3 championships series: 2016, gp3

[crazykuroneko]

2016 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final - Marseille - Ladies Free - Anastasiia ...

just missing my juliet on ice and abel korzenowski girl 😭

[formulamelia]

Get To Know Our 2023 Rookies

Hello again, everyone. This time I'm here not with a race report but an article about some of our drivers. Drivers are certainly some of the crucial people in our sport. But I have three drivers that I particularly want to talk about: rookies of the season; Logan Sargeant, Nyck De Vries, and Oscar Piastri. I specifically want to talk about the rookies because people often ignore them as they are new to the circle. In my opinion, we shouldn't ignore them. Instead, we should watch them even more closely. Many people, unfortunately, consider rookies as temporary drivers. The number of people who believe they could be permanent is very few. But they are not temporary; instead, they are the drivers we should watch closely and give many chances to. So, who are our 2023 rookies? Let's get to know them a little.

Logan Sargeant:

No lie! Logan is a driver that I am particularly interested in because he is my compatriot and the first American on the grid in such a long time. His full name is Logan Hunter Sargeant, and he was born on the 31st of December in 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (USA). The young driver started his career with karting in 2008. in 2015 he became the World Champion in the World Junior Karting Championship (CIK - FIA KFJ), and he etched his name into the history of motorsports at such a young age as the first American ever to claim the world title in this series. He stepped into the Formula world with the UAE Formula 4 in 2016, then the British F4 in 2017, and here he became teammates with one of our other rookies, Oscar Piastri. Logan went into Formula Renault Eurocup in 2018 and finished the championship in 4th place with 2018 points. The road to F1 has opened to the young driver as he stepped into FIA Formula 3 in 2019 with Team Carlin, becoming teammates with Felipe Drugovich. In 2020, Logan transferred to the Prema team as Frederik Vesti's teammate and scored his first win in Silverstone Feature Race. The young driver announced that he could not move onto F2 in 2021, citing financial reasons, and continued to race in F3 for another season. Later on, Williams Racing sponsored and signed him into their junior program, which allowed Sargeant to find a place in F2 with Team Carlin. The young driver etched his name into the sport's history again as the first American to win an F2 race and finished the championship in 3rd place after a successful season. As Williams Racing has announced that they would sign the driver in if he manages to earn enough SuperLicense points, they kept their promise and signed Sargeant for their 2023 lineup. Now, about his personality: Logan seems calm, quiet, and reserved. He is pretty shy on and off the race track and will need to break his shyness (at least on the tarmac). I can still say that during the 2nd race of the season (Saudi Arabian Grand Prix), his close attacks (even though he backed down at the last moment) were a preview of his potential if he can manage to break his shyness. I continue watching closely and congratulate him.

Nyck De Vries:

When we consider his success and experience in other series, it's unfair to call Nyck, the 2nd Dutchman of our grid, a ''rookie''. However, we accept him as a rookie since this is his 1st season in F1. We can say that the 2019 F2 and 2021 Formula E champion De Vries' career is full of success. His full name is Hendrik Johannes Nicasius De Vries, and he was born on the 6th of February in 1995 in Uitwellingerga, Netherlands. Nyck, whose father is also a racing driver, became the WSK World Champion in KFJ3 (Junior Karting) category in 2008. The successful driver continued his career in Formula Renault Eurocup between 2012 and 2014. Later, De Vries moved up into Formula Renault 3.5 in 2015 and completed the season in 3rd place with 160 points. Nyck moved up into GP3 (Formula 3 today) in 2016 and F2 in 2017. The young driver raced in Formula 2 between 2017 and 2019 and finally became the F2 champion in 2019. Nyck later won the ''6 Hours of Fuji'' race (in his category) in the World Endurance Championship, racing for the Racing Team Netherlands. Then, the successful driver switched to Formula E with Mercedes. De Vries continued his career in this series between 2019 - 2021 as Stoffell Vandoorne's teammate and became the Formula E World Champion in 2021. In 2022, he participated in F1 Free Practice sessions with various teams. Finally, his luck turned for the Italian Grand Prix (ran in Monza) as the Williams driver, Alexander Albon, ended up hospitalized, and he came in to replace him for the weekend on loan from Mercedes. After proving himself in both the Qualifying session and the race, also with the support of his compatriot Max Verstappen, De Vries finally found himself a race seat for the 2023 season with a full-time contract from Alpha Tauri. Red Bull is also an open option for Nyck's future, as it seems. It's very likely, especially when he has his compatriot Max Verstappen's full support. Now, about his personality and looks: De Vries has a tiny figure and a warm smile. He is often very friendly and kind. I wish him the best of luck for his first season in F1 and hope he scores his first points very soon.

Oscar Piastri:

And at last, it's our clean-faced boy Oscar Piastri's turn. He is the youngest diver on our grid. His full name is Oscar Jack Piastri, and he was born on the 6th of April in 2001 in Melbourne, Australia. Piastri is technically the first F1 driver born in the 21st century, as he was born in 2001. Although he originally started his racing career with national leagues for remote-controlled cars in Australia, the young driver started kart racing in 2011 when he was 10. In 2016, Piastri found a racing seat in the UAE Formula 4 and completed the championship in 6th place with two podiums. A company that his father founded became his first sponsor. In 2017, Oscar found himself in British Formula 4, finishing the season in 2nd place with six wins & six pole positions. Piastri, who participated in GP3 (Formula 3 today) testing sessions in 2018, found his home in Formula Renault Eurocup. He completed this championship in 9th place with three podiums. Oscar continued his run in Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019 with a different team and became the year's champion. After the FR Eurocup Championship, Piastri found his home in FIA Formula 3 and became Frederik Vesti & Logan Sargeant's teammate. He completed the 2020 season ahead of his teammates and his main rival Theo Pourchaire and claimed the F3 title. That way, he moved up to Formula 2 in 2021. The young driver who finished the season as the champion also became one of the few drivers who claimed the F2 title in their rookie season, along with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc, and George Russell. As he couldn't find himself a racing seat for 2022, Piastri became Alpine's reserve driver. After ending his reserve contract with Alpine eventfully during the 2022 summer break, the young driver signed into McLaren for the 2023 season. Now, about his personality: he is generally quiet, calm, and reserved. But his cute smile, indeed, pulls some attention. We wish the young Australian the best of luck and congratulate his first points scored in his home race.

[rhythmicgymnasticsnews]

Miss Valentine/ Tartu Grand Prix 2023 Info

Schedule

February 22nd

17:00 - 17:24 - RGI Mini 2016

17:25 - 17:53 - RGI Mini 2015

18:00 - 18:34 - RGI 2014

18:45 - 19:21 - RGI 2013

February 23rd

8:20 - 8:38 - RGI Mini 2015

8:50 - 9:24 - RGI 2014

9:30 - 10:06 - RGI 2013

10:45 - 11:57 - RGI 2012

12:15 - 13:09 - RGI 2011

13:25 - 14:51 - RGI 2010

14:55 - 15:57 - RGI 2009

16:10 - 17:08 - RGI 2008

17:15 - 18:25 - Seniors

18:45 - 20:25 - FIG Juniors Hoop and Ball

20:45 - 21:57 - Senior Groups

February 24th

10:40 - 11:52 - RGI 2012

12:00 - 12:54 - RGI 2011

13:30 - 14:56 - RGI 2010

15:05 - 16:07 - RGI 2009

16:15 - 17:13 - RGI 2008

17:30 - 19:08 - FIG Juniors Clubs and Ribbon

19:20 - 20:40 - Senior Groups

February 25th

8:00 - 8:15 - RGI 2012 Finals

9:15 - 9:30 - RGI 2011 Finals

10:45 - 11:12 - RGI 2010 Finals

12:50 - 14:24 - RGI 2007

14:50 - 16:00 - Seniors

February 26th

11:35 - 12:49 - RGI 2007

Startlists

February 22nd

February 23rd

February 24th

February 25th

February 26th

Livestreams

February 24th

Scores

[f1]

OSCARS AWARDS: The stunning stats behind Piastris stellar junior career as he gets set for F1 debut

Oscar Piastri will graduate to F1 with McLaren in 2023 – taking Daniel Ricciardo’s spot alongside Lando Norris – as he looks to build on an enviable racing record to date and perform on the big stage. Ahead of his Grand Prix debut, we decided to run through his motorsport exploits so far and look at the key stats and numbers he's notched up along the way… -- 3 -- Piastri has won three single-seater titles on his way to the F1 grid, claiming the Formula Renault Eurocup crown with French outfit R-ace GP in 2019 before landing back-to-back F2 and F3 championships with Italian squad Prema in 2020 and 2021. READ MORE: McLaren rookie Piastri explains why he chose #81 as his race number for 2023 He also finished second to British racer Jamie Caroline while contesting the 2017 British F4 championship with Arden Motorsport – the outfit co-created and formerly run by now Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. -- 14 -- With Piastri’s racing taking him across the UK, Europe and beyond, he won races at 14 tracks while climbing the ranks, starting with Oulton Park, Snetterton, Knockhill and Silverstone in British F4, before adding Spa-Francorchamps, the Nurburgring, the Hungaroring, and the Yas Marina Circuit in Formula Renault Eurocup. On his promotion to F3, Piastri grew the list with wins at the Red Bull Ring and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the Bahrain International Circuit, Monza, Sochi and Jeddah following in F2. It means he has already triumphed at nine current F1 venues. Piastri progresses to F1 with McLaren on the back of a glittering junior racing career -- 16 -- During his time in the aforementioned categories, Piastri delivered plenty of eye-catching qualifying laps to bag himself 16 pole positions. Six of those came in British F4 in 2017, five in Formula Renault Eurocup two years later, and five throughout the 2021 F2 campaign. -- 21 -- In addition to a healthy pole tally, Piastri raced his way to a total of 21 victories from 2016 to 2021, again hitting six in British F4, then taking seven in Formula Renault Eurocup, two in F3 and six in F2. The Australian also set 21 fastest laps during the same period. READ MORE: ‘He’s a very strong team mate to learn from’ – Piastri excited to work with Norris at McLaren -- 46 -- Given his victory record, Piastri unsurprisingly made plenty of podium appearances from F4 to F2, taking home 46 trophies in just over five years of competition. That gives him a 35% rostrum conversion rate for all the single-seater races he has contested up to this point. -- 60.5 -- After pipping Sauber junior Theo Pourchaire and fellow 2023 F1 rookie Logan Sargeant (now signed to Williams) to the F3 title, Piastri enjoyed a dominant victory margin in F2. He ended the 2021 season 60.5 points clear of Ferrari-backed Robert Shwartzman, with now Alfa Romeo racer Zhou Guanyu nine further back. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Oscar Piastri's best moments so far -- 105 -- Piastri was a scoring machine across his junior career, with 105 points finishes giving him an impressive conversion rate of 80%. However, this would have been even higher if a handful of guest appearances during the 2018 Formula Renault NEC championship had counted for points. -- 131 -- To put the above numbers into more context, Piastri’s points, podiums and wins until now have come from 131 races, spanning his first outing in F4 UAE at Yas Marina on December 16, 2016 to the F2 finale at the same venue on December 12, 2021. READ MORE: Why Ricciardo reckons his McLaren struggles can give replacement Piastri a ‘head start’ in his maiden season -- 1,343 -- Across those 131 races, and with various scoring systems in place, Piastri amassed a whopping 1,343 points, with attention now turning to what he can achieve when he arrives in F1 and begins the latest chapter of his burgeoning motorsport career. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[boxboxblog]

A General History of F1: Red Bull Rising

Red Bull, starting in 2016, was already getting their glory days back. While Ferrari and Mercedes (mostly Mercedes) were inarguably the top teams during this time, Red Bull started to fight its way back up the ladder. The spark that started this all was young driver Max Verstappen, the youngest Grand Prix winner of all time. He very quickly swept into the Red Bull seat and announced himself as a future WDC after winning his first race with the team. He was only 18 years old.

When 2018 hit, F1 welcomed a new aspect. Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive (DTS) started filming and with it came an explosion in popularity. A new demographic, namely young women, came pouring in, and F1 drivers went from being relatively famous to rockstar famous. But with things like the media twisting stories to what they want, there are bound to be negatives.

One of those negatives came for Max Verstappen. Young, hungry, aggressive, and fearless, Verstappen reminded me of a young Vettel. He earned multiple less than happy nicknames during this time, from 'Crashstappen' to his most famous 'Mad Max'. Blunt and unafraid to speak his mind, the Dutchman didn't entirely click with the new position drivers found themselves in. He became despised almost instantly.

2019 and 2020 found Red Bull, and Verstappen specifically doing extremely well. they were now the team in title fights with Mercedes. The biggest struggle for them during this time was their driver lineup.

In 2018, their lineup had been rock solid. Young Max Verstappen was their key to the future, and an extreme talent. Experienced driver Daniel Riccardo was their steady choice, and rock solid racer. The two drivers got along famously, but on the track there was tension. Riccardo, like any driver, was selfish and wanted to be #1. It became increasingly clear that Verstappen was Red Bull's choice for the future. That year, Riccardo announced his move to Renault for 2019. This was beyond a surprise, as he was switching from a top 3 team to a midfield team. Riccardo would never drive for a top team again, and many call it the biggest mistake of his career

Red Bull's biggest problem now was finding the right teammate for Verstappen. They were also switching over to a new engine provider, which brought even more difficulties in. 2019 was a year of struggle for Red Bull, but not with this new engine. Honda, the provider, came through on their promise and the fast car had Verstappen fighting for podiums. But his teammate was another story.

For 2019 Red Bull elevated Pierre Gasly from Torro Rosso, the Red Bull junior team. He was gone halfway through the season. They then elevated Alexander Albon. This driver lasted slightly longer, but within a year and a half, he too was gone. In 2021 Red Bull finally seemed to get it right, and Sergio Perez was Verstappen's teammate until 2024. But even now, no teammate, save Riccardo, has kept up with Verstappen. A verified maneater in my opinion.

2021 was the season Perez joined, and also happened to be the year Verstappen won his first WDC. The season ended with drama, as Verstappen and Hamilton were both at the same exact number of points for the final race, something that almost never happens. But the drama didn't even stem from that. It came from the most controversial ending to a race in many years, a controversy that still leads people today to call Lewis Hamilton an 8x WDC instead of 7.

I know I said I would cover that in this post, but it was getting too long. Next post will cover 2021 up to 2023. The final post will discuss the current year and how it going so far.

Cheers,

-B

[cleoenfaserum]

CUBA es mas que una cuba. (584)

hace mas o menos 365 que este articulo se publico por primero vez.

A veces me pongo a pensar, que diferencia hay entre Cuba y Santo Domingo, conocido como la República Dominicana, siendo, como quien dice, una misma gente. “No es embuste.” Hablamos el mismo idioma con parecido acentos. Cada uno en su isla y dios (el mismo dios) en las de todos. Ambos nos bañamos en el mar caribe. Comemos arroz y habichuelas (el color de los fríjoles no importa), plátanos y yuca…que carajo…y bebemos romo. Bailamos al son del mismo ritmo.

CORTOMETRAJE: CREMATORIO de CREMATA.

“El padre muere y hay que velarlo”, es la sinopsis del mediometraje de 32 minutos basado en hechos reales.

Juan Carlos Cremata ha demostrado su compromiso teatral llevando varias piezas de las tablas a la gran pantalla y ha realizado filmes de ficción y documentales como Diana (1988), Oscuros rinocerontes enjaulados (1990), La Época, El Encanto y Fin de Siglo (1999), Nada (2001), Viva Cuba (2005), El premio flaco (2009), Chamaco (2010) y, recientemente, Contigo pan y cebolla. La beca Guggenheim obtenida anteriormente por el director lo ayudó sin dudas a culminar esta producción, que, por otra parte resulta muy minimalista. Haber vivido más de un año en Nueva York y viajar por Estados Unidos, fue, en palabras del cineasta, como convertirse en otra persona y completar, vivencialmente, “al artista que venía forjando en mí. Allí volví a nacer y me sentí todavía mucho más cubano”. Por cierto, Cremata confiesa que, precisamente allí, aprendió a conocer mejor su propia cultura, además de que reafirmó su voluntad de regresar a su país y “hacer por nuestra cultura desde aquí”. Ese regreso, asegura, fue el inicio de su verdadera vocación de creador. “¡Tengo tanto por hacer!” La verdad es que Cremata — aun cuando por momentos parezca un poco extraño y estridente el resultado de su búsqueda — no pierde impulso, ni siquiera cuando ha tenido que sufrir en su obra, o sea, en carne propia, la brutalidad de la censura. Según dice él mismo, “todos los pasos que doy están encaminados a cumplir mi su sueño más ambicioso: la adaptación al cine de la genial novela de Carlos Montenegro Hombres sin mujer”. Si ese gran sueño deviene una buena obra cinematográfica, todos saldremos ganando. Ojalá, al final, Crematorio quedara como una obra lograda pero menor en el catálogo de este notable realizador. No está mal el humor con los detritus; está bien que seamos tremendos y que estemos basados en hechos reales, pero este corto debiera ser el punto para un salto mayor, más allá de las obsesiones cubistas o cubanistas.

Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti

Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti (La Habana, Cuba, 18 de noviembre de 1961) es un director de cine, director de teatro y guionista cubano. Se graduó en 1986 de Teatrología y Dramaturgia, en el Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) de La Habana, posteriormente cursó estudios en la Escuela Internacional de Cine de San Antonio de los Baños graduándose en 1990. Fue profesor de montaje cinematográfico en la Universidad de Buenos Aires y de dirección cinematográfica en el Centro de Experimentación en Cine y Video de Buenos Aires.

Su debut como director de largometrajes se produce en 2001 con Nada, primera película de una trilogía que nunca llegaría a completarse por falta de presupuesto. Su siguiente filme, Viva Cuba, fue merecedora de más de 30 premios, tanto nacionales como internacionales, entre ellos el “Grand Prix Écrans Juniors” en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Cannes en el 2005. Más adelante realizós las adaptaciones cinematográficas de las obras de teatro, El Premio Flaco, Chamaco, y Contigo Pan y Cebolla. Reside en Estados Unidos desde 2016. (Juan Carlos Cremata — Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre)

Notas:

(3 VID) https://youtu.be/pyaF3lWn8V0

ARTICULO: Crematorio, en fin… el mal (2013) en cines.com

Daniel Díaz Torres (31 de diciembre de 1948–16 de septiembre de 2013) fue un director de cine y guionista cubano. Dirigió 16 películas desde 1975. Su película Jíbaro de 1985 se inscribió en el 14º Festival Internacional de Cine de Moscú. (Daniel Díaz Torres — Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre).

ARTICULO: Fallece en La Habana destacado cineasta Daniel Díaz Torres | Cubadebate

REF: 584

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Why is Yuzuru's 4 Grand Prix Final title not emphasized enough? To me, winning Grand Prix Final is harder than winning World Championships since skaters have to be successful on previous 2 competitions, too. Whereas for World Championships, if they are on form that week, they win. If not, they are unlucky enough to lose despite their high potential. Maybe I simplified the World Championships too much, but that's what I perceived. Yuzuru has won 2 world championships, but when he lost he was not inferior to Javier Fernandez. He was still the best male skater who unfortunately lost a precious title. I wonder why Grand Prix Final is not as valuable as World Championships.

I think in Yuzu's case the 4 GPF titles are not emphasized often because he has other titles with more worth like 2 Olympic Gold medals! You will always see him introduced as two time Olympic Champion, also seldomly as two time World champion. Yuzu's two Olympic titles are so special and he is only the 2nd men to ever achieve it and that more than 50 years later, that this will always be the emphasize when ppl talk about Yuzu's achievements.

In general however GPF titles and medals don't hold the same value as Olympic medals and world titles.

The order of value is as follows:

Olympic Gold (and then every other Olympic medal too) > World Gold medals > GPF Gold > European Gold > 4CC Gold > junior world titles

If someone has only GPF medals but no world or Olympic medals, the skater will be introduced as GPF medalist. Ppl will always emphasize the biggest victories and while I completely agree that 4 GPF Gold medals are a great achievement and should get more praise, it's not the way this sport and its ppl value those medals. Don't get me wrong a GPF title is a big senior title, but not if you won the Olympics twice like Yuzu.

You're right that you need to be good in two competitions to qualify for the GPF, which isn't easy at all, but in the end it's dependent on a lot of factors (forms of the day of competition, the skaters you have to face, which vary a lot in how difficult it can get to achieve a certain placement for example look at GP Sheffied 2022 against NHK 2022 etc)

You could argue with the form or bad luck about every competition. A competition is a competition and in the end the best of two days combined wins, no matter if GPF or Worlds/Olympics. A competition essentially isn't about who is the best skater in theory, but who can deliver the best on the days of competition and what his rivals on the same days do. Imo for example at Worlds 2016 Yuzu was inferior to Javi in this particular competition, because Yuzu wasn't able to deliver what he is capable of (no matter the reasons like injury) and Javi did deliver. I think it's a matter of perspective, being "the best skater" is not a title you can get (unless you count the sh*t ISU awards) and though I would fight tooth and nails against anyone who claims someone else than Yuzu is the best in the world, it's still anyone's right to have a different perspective because it's not a hard fact. (I don't know how one could argue about Yuzu being not the best but saying this objectively)

In the end I think anyone can have their own opinion about which competitions are harder and titles harder to achieve. If you ask skaters from Japan or Russia which is the hardest competition of the season, they would say their Nationals even those titles have the lowest value internationally, but it determines if you even get a chance to become a World/ 4CC/ European or Olympic champion.